Like death and taxes, your dog’s poop is inevitable, but you can minimize Fluffy’s impact on the planet by cutting her poop problem. Bio-plastic bags, good quality food, and compost bins are just three ways to lighten the 10 million ton load our pets add to our earthly woes.

1. Spike Business Bags

Start by scrapping traditional plastic bags and instead pack some bio-plastic picker-uppers with you on your next doggie walk. Made from vegetable-based “plastics” derived from things like corn, wheat, tapioca, and potatoes, these “business” bags let you clean up without worrying about how long the plastic will stick around after you’ve put it in the bin—many break down in less than 60 days!

These Spike Business Bags are compliant with ASTM6400 and certified by the US Composting Council.

2. Poop Bags

These 100% biodegradable Poop Bags by PoopBags.com are made from renewable corn byproducts and are also ASTMD6400 compliant.

They come with a refillable dispenser box and ship free in the US (they’re also made in the USA).

3. BioBags

Add an even more eco-friendly aspect to your doggie bag purchase by choosing those made with GMO-free corn. BioBag’s 100% biodegradable options for dogs come in small and large sizes, and are even available for cat excrement as well (non-allergenic cat pan liners that are 100% biodegradable).

They’re all Certified compostable and are made with soy-based inks and dyes and certified free of heavy metals.

4. Kyjen Pooch

These bags are lightly fragranced to help eliminate odors and are made from biodegradable cornstarch so that you can “pick up where your dog left off.”

5. Dog Food

Once you’ve swapped out non-biodegradable plastic bags for more eco-friendly doggie doo baggies, look to lower the amount of poop your pooch produces by feeding him or her higher quality kibble.

Many conventional dog foods are formulated with fillers—waste foods that are not fit for human consumption but which can make up to 50% of the total volume of a given dog food. These merely bulk up the food but provide little to no nutritional value.

High-quality dog foods are those packed with lots of protein and high-quality dairy ingredients (eggs for instance) and will diminish the size of your doggy’s doo significantly. And since your dog will eat less to get full, you may even save money, too!

6. Doggie Dooley

Composting your pet’s waste so that it stays out of landfills is an excellent way to deal with your poop problem. Commercially-produced dog waste composters can be purchased, making your setup low-maintenance.

Doggie Dooley, for instance, carries a miniature septic tank-style composter that uses enzymes and bacteria to quickly break down dog waste to a liquid. Just install the bin in the ground and begin scooping the waste of up to four dogs into it.